His Voice in my Headphones

nd a grainy printout of some lo-fi artist she'd found on SoundCloud. Her parents' voices drifted upstairs, sharp and predictable, arguing about her "wasted potential." She cranked the

or knowing when she was spiraling. But right now, she didn't want his sunshine. She wanted the dark pulse of her music, the kind that made her feel like she could slip out of her skin and b

read, the name pulsing like a heartbeat. She didn't remember downloading it. She swip

e muttered, yanking

the words curling around her like smoke. "Tired of their rules?" Mina froze, her thumb hovering over the pause button. The voice wasn't part of the song. It was in her headphones, alive and intimate, like it was speaking just to her. Her

e door. Her parents' voices had quieted, but the weight of their disappointment still hung heavy. "How do you know about them?" she asked, her voice barely a breath. "I know you, Muse," The voice said

"Show me you're not afraid." Her phone buzzed again, a Heart Lock notification popping up: Muse, you can't hide from me. The red heart pulsed, and the screen glitched, her playlist replaced by a single track titled "For My Muse." The beat was hypnotic, weaving Ezra's voice into its rhythm, urging her

treetlights. Her headphones thumped with the hypnotic song, Ezr

corn and stale soda. The jukebox in the corner glowed, playing a lo-fi track that matched her pulse. She stepped into the center of the sticky floor, closed

s, building treehouses and swapping mixtapes, but lately, his texts felt like another cage." Focus on me, Muse," Ezra said, his voice sharper now, cutting through the jukebox's hum. "Not him." Mina's skin prickled. "Him? You mean Theo?" Ezra's laugh was soft, dangerous. "He doesn't get you l

was just kids and shadows. Her phone lit up with another text from Theo: Mina, seriously. This isn't

, the beat fading into static. Ezra's voice came through, clear and close, like he was standing right behind her. "I know you better than anyone ever will, Muse. I've always known you." The jukebox sparked, skipping to a new song-one Mina didn't